1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of acquiring content from a web server and displaying it on an operation display unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An information processing apparatus such as a PC is known to acquire, from a web server connected to a network, a document file or image data called content described in a structured language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and causes a web browser installed in the information processing apparatus to display it on a display unit. Such an information processing apparatus displays the content acquired from the web server as an operation instruction screen on the web browser. The apparatus can also send a user's operation input instruction on the operation screen to the web server. That is, using the web browser enables use of the operation unit of the information processing apparatus as an operation instruction input/output unit for the web server.
An example of the information processing apparatus that realizes such web server operation instruction input/output using a web browser is a Multi Functional Peripheral (to be referred to as an “MFP” hereinafter) having a scanner and a printer. The web server performs image processing based on an operation instruction input from the web browser of the MFP, and then instructs the MFP to execute a scan operation or pointing via the network. This makes it possible to realize image processing and user management functions that are difficult to realize in the standalone MFP. To use a function of the MFP itself without needing a control instruction on the web server side, switching may be done between the content screen displayed by the web browser and the operation screen of the MFP itself.
The MFP also includes a unit configured to switch the display language currently used on the operation display unit. This unit can switch the display language on the operation screen of the MFP and that on various function setting screens of the web browser and the like.
However, the content displayed within the web browser is web content provided by the web server. For this reason, even when the display language of the MFP is switched, the display language and details of the content do not change.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-227199, an MFP sends information of its display language to a web server together with a content acquisition request so as to cause the server to switch, based on the language information, the display language of the content to be returned to the MFP. This allows for synchronization of the primary display language of the operation screen of the MFP with the display language of the content. To switch the display language, however, the user first switches the display language of the MFP device, and then requests content in that display language from the web server. In this case, the trigger to instruct display language switching exists on the device side. Hence, even when the web server switches the display language of the content in accordance with the details of the content displayed on the web browser, the language of the operation screen of any function of the device main body does not change. Even when the web server switches the display language of the content, the display language of the functions of the device main body does not change. To synchronize the display language, the user needs to switch the display language of the device for himself/herself.
That is, the conventional method requires cumbersome display language switching, resulting in poor operability. In an information processing system in which a web server issues an operation instruction of an information processing apparatus such as an MFP, since the web server cannot switch the display language at its convenience, limitations are imposed on system construction and content creation.